Cooperative Learning

The Art of Cooperative Learning John Chamberlain

The Connecting Link 29 Prospect Hill Road

Dr. Hank Garvey Lexington MA 02421-6909

Summer 2006 jcsm@comcast.net

Final Summative Paper 781-533-9535

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Six Cooperative Lessons for the 8th Grade English Class

First of all, let me say that this material, the cooperative learning techniques were really helpful. I have certainly used group work in my classes as a variation to individual work. But it is mostly traditional group work and not fully vested cooperative learning, as this course has focused on. The distinctions were clear enough and I’m glad to know them. Methods of forming groups, instructions for group cohesion and partnership, and different activities and techniques, were all useful. Teachers, myself certainly included, need coaching and encouragement in venturing out into new territory, and having the opportunity to practice these techniques helps us get the insight and know-how to be willing to attempt and stick with the strategies until they become comfortable and second nature.

I do agree with the teachers who have said that group work can begin in earnest after the first few weeks of school. Part of the challenge of the start of school is to assess where individual students are academically, what their skills levels are personally. Parent conferences usually start in October or early November, and I, for one, want to have a strong handle on the needs of my eighty, plus or minus, students. Also, smaller groups, perhaps pairs or triads, are good places to start early in the school year, and as students become more comfortable, then a move to groups of triads and foursomes should work better.

This said, I have put together lesson plans that incorporate a number of cooperative teaching techniques. I look forward to implementing them this year and to expanding my experience and skillfulness with them. -- John Chamberlain

1. Expert Jigsaw in Literature Review and Discussion:

Academic Task / Learning Objective: To review short stories in our anthology after reading them the night before, using the expert jigsaw technique, in a cooperative group review. Students’ comprehension of story elements -- character, setting, plot events and development, themes, imagery and symbolism, and their interaction -- will be improved.

Groupings: Students will be grouped in fours by ability level (H, M, L).

Directions / Steps in teaching the lesson: The story elements will be divided up along lines of characters (expert group 1), setting and atmosphere (group 2), plot events (group 3), and themes and / or imagery and symbolism (group 4). 15 minutes will be alloted to the expert group’s review of the story (or less, if attention appears to be peaking), and 10 minutes for base group presentations. Afterward, whole class discussion will allow us to explore the interaction of these elements, such as the effect of the setting on the characters or the plot. For example, in many works of literature, the weather or imagery often represents or suggests the emotions of the characters.

Materials: Worksheet that guides and facilitates the discussion.

Social skills emphasized: Positive interdependence, encouraging each other in order to promote full participation and collaboration.

Grading: Students will be quizzed afterward in the usual way so that individual accountability is maintained. Success will be celebrated in base groups.

Processing: Allow 5-10 minutes at the end of class to review the group process, starting off with a review by a person in the group who was assigned to take notes about the process and about the group’s interactions.

2. Pairs or Triads in Vocabulary Acquisition and Review:

Academic Task / Learning Objective: To review vocabulary found in our readings, using pairs of students. Students’ comprehension and retention of vocabulary words and how they are used in sentences, including a contextual clues, and a knowledge of how they function as parts of speech, will be improved. (A related activity will be to assign certain word roots, suffixes or prefixes to these pairs or triads, culminating in presentations to the class.)

Groupings: Students will be grouped in pairs randomly or alphabetically.

Directions / Steps in teaching the lesson:

Materials: Index cards that allow for words, notes and definitions, also functioning as flashcards for review. Reading materials that are rich in vocabulary and dictionaries will be used.

Social skills emphasized: Positive interdependence, encouraging each other in order to promote full participation and collaboration.

Grading: Students will be quizzed afterward in the usual way so that individual accountability is maintained. Review of previously used vocabulary words (by saved index cards) will keep them active in their awareness. Success will be celebrated in paired groups.

Processing: Allow 5-10 minutes at the end of class to review the process of the pairs, starting off with responding to questions (and jotting down answers) that I will put out to the class, such as What was most effective in helping you learn the words? What was least effective? What suggestions do you have if this activity was to happen in the future?

3. Numbered Heads Together in Grammar Review:

Academic Task / Learning Objective: To review grammar categories and principles before taking a class test, using the Numbered Heads Together technique, in a cooperative group review. Students’ comprehension of parts of speech, which in my eighth grade classes are reviewed as a whole before moving on to an exploration of phrases and clauses -- will be improved. Specifically, students are encouraged to know not only definitions of individual parts of speech, but the questions that parts of speech answer.

Groupings: Students will be grouped in fours by ability level (H, M, L). These groups will be identified by name or letter. Each student in that group will then have a number, which will identify them in the numbered heads together activity.

Directions / Steps in teaching the lesson: The review of the grammar unit will proceed with questions such as “Which part of speech refers to words that take the place of or substitute for nouns?” or questions such as:

“In these sentences, how does the word flower function as parts of speech? a. The pink flower arrangements were draped over the doorway to the gingerbread house. b. Sweet ideas flower in attentive childrens’ minds. c. I climb the shapes of the morning, and know the flower of all water receeding.

“In these sentences, how does the word back function as parts of speech?

a. In this dance, move back three steps, then sideways two. b. I hope you will back me financially when I go to college. c. His back was sore from carrying the piano up the stairs.

“In these sentences, how does the word one function as parts of speech?

a. I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. b. Three minus two is one. c. One can only imagine what was going on in Einstein’s mind when he saw the atomic bomb go off.

These types of questions make students realize that it is how words are used, not just their endings, that determine its use as a part of speech. For example, the ending -LY is generally thought of as an adverb ending, but it can be an adjective ending, as in “You have a lovely baby.” So it helps that students can think about how a word is used in a sentence, rather than reflexively making conclusions based on a word ending.

Students will put their heads together and decide upon an answer. Students are asked to make sure everyone in the group agrees and understands. Then a number will be announced and those students will rise and one will be called to give the answer. Other (similarly numbered) who agree will be asked to explain why it is correct.

Materials: Worksheet that guides and facilitates the discussion.

Social skills emphasized: Positive interdependence, encouraging each other in order to promote full participation and collaboration.

Grading: Students will be tested afterward in the usual way so that individual accountability is maintained. Success will be celebrated in base groups.

A variation on this is Team-Led Numbered Heads, where one group would do the role of the teacher. #1 would ask the questions, #2 would record responses, #3 would randomly select the number to respond, and #4 would keep track of the process.

4. Triad Drafting / Editing in Short Story Writing:

Academic Task / Learning Objective: To experience help in the writing process from students who can provide an objective, supportive reading of a piece of creative writing. Writing by its nature is a very personal activity and emotional distancing helps one be objective. A peer editor can provide this assistance, as long as the critique is not hurtful.

Groupings: Students will be grouped in threes by ability level (H, M, L).

Directions / Steps in teaching the lesson: After a first or second draft of a student written short story, peer editing sessions begin. Peer editors are instructed to read the short story and keep creative writing techniques such as foreshadowing or flashbacks, in mind as they read. Further along the line, as the story gets closer to a final draft, peer editors will be instructed to read for more grammatical and mechanical issues such as correct comma usage or accurate quotation usage.

Materials: Worksheet that guides and facilitates the editing process; a list of common errors, with examples, that helps students focus on particular, not all, corrections.

Social skills emphasized: Positive interdependence, encouraging each other in order to promote full participation and collaboration.

Grading: Drafts of stories will be graded afterward in the usual way so that individual accountability is maintained. All previous drafts are to be saved and turned in with new drafts, stapled underneath, so that a grade improvement can be easily tracked. Improvements in grades will be celebrated in base groups.

5. Carousel in Poetry Review and Discussion:

Academic Task / Learning Objective: To review poems that we have explored, using the carousel technique, in a cooperative group review. Students’ comprehension of poetry elements -- sound effects such as alliteration, rhyming patterns, and rhythm, and meaning elements, such as imagery, symbolism and theme, narrative elements, and the interaction of these aspects -- will be improved.

Groupings: Students will be grouped in fours by ability level (H, M, L). Roles of recorder, poem marker, speaker and mediator will be assigned.

Directions / Steps in teaching the lesson: Large poster-sized presentations of the poems for review will be taped up on the walls and chalkboards around the classroom. Students will have colored markers for making their points and raising questions in the margins (the white area alongside poems is great for such ‘marginalia’) and below the poems. Students will raise questions, offer interpretations, respond to others’ comments, and proceed around the room after five minute time intervals.

Role directions: The recorder will be in charge of making notes in the margins or at the bottom. The mediator will keep track of time spent on or off task, try to keep ideas flowing or refocus the group if necessary. The speaker will report to the class afterward, trying to be fair about presenting as many of the group’s ideas as possible. The poem marker will have a special job of identifying similes, rhyming words, onomatopoetic words, and other “sound effects” on the poems themselves. He or she will use different colored markers to indicate these poetic elements.

Materials: Poems printed in very large print on poster paper, colored markers, masking tape to secure the poems to the walls.

Social skills emphasized: Positive interdependence, encouraging each other in order to promote full participation and collaboration.

Grading: Students will be quizzed afterward in the usual way so that individual accountability is maintained. Success will be celebrated in base groups.

Processing: Allow 5-10 minutes at the end of class to review the group process, starting off with a review by a person in the group assigned the role of the mediator.

6. Round Robin Brainstorming in Poetry Discussion:

Academic Task / Learning Objective: To explore new poems, using the Round Robin Brainstorming technique, in a cooperative group exploration. Students’ comprehension of poetry elements -- sound effects such as alliteration, rhyming patterns, and rhythm, and meaning elements, such as imagery, symbolism and theme, narrative elements, and the interaction of these aspects -- will be improved.

Groupings: The class is divided into four groups by ability level (H, M, L) with one person appointed as the recorder and another as the dictionary consultant.

Directions / Steps in teaching the lesson: Each group is given a new poem and is asked simply to come up with questions on the poem. Answers are not needed for these questions, but the idea is that as the exploration proceeds, the questions will be more refined and clarified. All members of the group are to come up with a number of questions that they have about the poem. The recorder writes down these questions on the paper of the poem. At the end of the session, the recorders present their questions to the class.

Next, the groups are charged with a (probably teacher-generated) general question that could have a number of angles for answers, or a variety of examples for supporting evidence. All are given time to think on their own, perhaps three minutes, and then the team shares answers in a round robin style, going around from the recorder to the left. The recorder jots down ideas and points and then the team presents their ideas to the class.

Materials: A poem with a lot of white space around it for writing, and a question that guides brainstorming.

Social skills emphasized: Positive interdependence, encouraging each other in order to promote full participation and collaboration.

Grading: Students will respond afterward in a short answer and paragraph response or essay format so that individual accountability is maintained. Success will be celebrated in base groups.